The present invention relates to a magnetic recording medium, and more particularly to a magnetic recording medium having a decreased abrasion coefficient without being accompanied by decrease in electromagnetic properties, an improved running durability, a backing layer of the tape without being scraped away, an excellent mechnical strength and an improved curling resistance.
Generally, magnetic recording tapes include audio tapes, video tapes and computer tapes, which are coated type magnetic recording media as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,910. However, with the recent increased demand for high density recording, a ferromagnetic thin metal film type magnetic recording medium which is prepared by vapor deposition method such as vacuum deposition, sputtering or ion plating or plating such as electric plating or electroless plating as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,002,546, 4,226,681, 4,354,908, etc. has drawn attention and has been put into practical use. With regard to magnetic recording tapes for audio, video or computer, the surface of the magnetic recording layer is made smooth to improve sensitivity (i.e., particularly output in a high frequency region), and the thickness of the tape is prepared to have 20.mu.. Therefore, the backing layer is thin and omission (scraping away or drop off) which is the cause of drop out readily occurs. Additionally, tape strength is deteriorated, whereby creases easily occur, causing curling, drop out and change of output, which affect running properties and winding properties.
There are serious defects in the metal thin film type magnetic recording medium that (1) abrasion resistance toward the magnetic head or guide pole is large upon recording, reproducing and erasing signals, and therefore wear resistance is worse, (2) abrasion coefficient toward tape guiding systems for magnetic tapes to run is large because a smooth support is used for high density and high S/N recording, and therefore running is unstable and (3) a metal thin film is vapor deposited on a smooth surface of the tape and therefore curling of the tape is large.